Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738
Aristotelia fungivorella
This record describes Aristotelia fungivorella (species). Recorded family: Gelechiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing light to medium brown with dark patches in basal, AM, and PM areas along the costa, and a fourth dark patch at the apex; the bottom of the AM patch has an S-shaped edge that continues across to the bottom of the PM patch; fringe cells increase greatly in length from apex to anal angle, and change abruptly from dark brown to whitish just before reaching anal angle; hindwing gray, almost rectangular, with long hair-like fringe cells.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Gelechioidea
- Family
- Gelechiidae (Twirler Moths)
- Subfamily
- Anomologinae
- Genus
- Aristotelia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Most of North America. Type locality: Illinois, from larvae mining willow galls (Mr. Benj. D. Walsh ).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on galls of willow, including narrowleaf willow ( Salix exigua ). ( 4 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet from Latin meaning "fungivore," although the larvae mine galls on willow.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Aristotelia fungivorella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738
What is Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738?
Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738 (Aristotelia fungivorella) is a species in the family Gelechiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738?
Adult: forewing light to medium brown with dark patches in basal, AM, and PM areas along the costa, and a fourth dark patch at the apex; the bottom of the AM patch has an S-shaped edge that continues across to the bottom of the PM patch; fringe cells increase greatly in length from apex to anal angle, and change abruptly from dark brown to whitish just before reaching anal angle; hindwing gray, almost rectangular, with long hair-like fringe cells.
Where is Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738 found?
Range: Most of North America. Type locality: Illinois, from larvae mining willow galls (Mr. Benj. D. Walsh ).
What does Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738 eat?
The diet of the Aristotelia fungivorella - Hodges#1738 includes Larvae feed on galls of willow, including narrowleaf willow ( Salix exigua ). ( 4 ).